In today's distribution of e.g. beverages and food in cylindrical cans or bottles, in the text below referred to as cylinders, selling of multipacked products occurs. It happens, during these circumstances, that the multipack does not cover the EAN-code that each separate cylinder has in the multipack. An EAN-code is a bar code, which for example identifies the price of a product and the type of product. This code is used when one separate products is to be sold. At the same time, the multipack has a code, which is intended for the number of items in the multipack, e.g. six beer-cans. Randomly, it occurs that the multipack simultaneously shows two different codes, which both are readable. When handling the multipack at the cash register there is a risk that the multipack is registered as if one single item only has been sold.
This problem has forced forth that e.g. a 12-pack of beer-cans must now be sold in a completely enclosed carton package, which must be seen as a certain waste of resources plus that the consumer is left with the waste.
In order to minimize the quantity of packaging material required, several solutions have been presented to the market. All these solutions have the drawback that the codes on each specific item in the multipack are left fully visable and readable and the risk for errors when handling these multipacks at the cash register is greater than with the solutions presently used. An example of a multipack with a small quantity of packaging material is described in EP-A-0 496 807, in this text only referred to as a reference.
In order to decrease the amount of packaging material in a good way at the same time eliminating the above problem, each specific can or bottle must be put in such an internal order that the markings, such as the EAN-codes, on the product packages of the cans or bottles are placed between each specific product package in such a way that these codes cannot be read from the outside but only the code on the multipack proper. It is also suitable that the product package is fixed in this position. This can be done with a small amount of adhesive between the product package and the carrying element or that the multipack or product package is so designed that rotation of the cans after the assembling of the carrying element over the product packages is made impossible. Alternatively, the cylinders can be turned so that the codes can be read one after the other.